


Spilling Your Guts

by Shinobiinu



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), Based on a Dream, Ecto-Genitalia (Undertale), F/M, Friendship, Harems, It gets fixed though, Mildly Dubious Consent, Misunderstandings, Multi, Multiverse, Pre-written to chapter 15, Prophetic Dreams, Smut, Soul Nonsense, Soul Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-02-23 11:35:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23044300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinobiinu/pseuds/Shinobiinu
Summary: (Reposting/revising from an old unsafe account.)Underswap Papyrus was enjoying his day on the surface when a chance encounter of the visceral variety would disrupt his newly established sense of peace. Great.Welp, nightmares aren't getting any worse are they?
Relationships: Papyrus (Undertale)/Reader, Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Comments: 19
Kudos: 130





	1. It's Out in the Open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus really needs better luck, problematic humans always just seem to drop into his lap, ya know? (His POV)

Papyrus slowly walked down the street, his mind focused on the few things he and his brother needed from the store. Yawning, he glanced up at the sky as the lights of late afternoon colored three clouds in hues of tomato red and honey gold. A deep breath of appreciation escaped his smiling jaw until he turned the corner.

“holy fuckin shit dude.” He exhaled.

A weak gurgling voice crept toward him in return from the mangled piece of flesh and intestines sprawled across the alleyway pavement. “S-sorry… I..I didn't (wheeze) mean to… spill my guts… in front of..a… stranger…” more wheezing followed in a seeking attempt at laughter.

Papyrus couldn't look away from the… human? In front of himself. His horror and disgust refused to let him look away while his logical mind searched for answers in the way the human's body lay, legs akimbo, abdomen ripped apart as if by the claws of a beast, ribs broken and clearly visible, intestines literally across the whole scene. His familiarity with death notwithstanding, he knew he had just stumbled into his next nightmare fuel.

Then it hit him, the person was still alive. Whipping out his phone he texted his brother that there would be a delay in coming home, then tapped 911. He could barely remember what he was telling the voice over the line as his eyes focused on the soul belonging to the unfortunate before him. If he didn't have such great reaction control he would have dropped his phone then and there.

“what the actual fuck man?!” Was his response to finding the soul constantly changing hues. That wasn't how souls work. He should be way more wary but thanks to their helpless state it was hard to be anything other than hopelessly confused… and curious.

Watching for a moment he realized he was being spoken to from the phone still clutched in his hand. Movement caught his eye as an ambulance parked nearby. Realizing he had been staring for who knows how long, the meat gurgled a soft “Thanks.” as the medics carefully scooped everything onto a gurney.

Without thinking, he stepped forward right into the blocking hand of a campus police officer. “We’ll need your statement, sir.” The man's tone of discomfort was what snapped the skeleton out of his trance. Realizing he had just put himself in line for suspicion and spotlight he let out a deep sigh.

Looking toward the semi-reconstructed human he decided was female, his mind attached to a way out, at least temporarily. “I feel responsible for her, I should be there with her.” Nodding toward the vehicle that loaded the woman. “I didn't really see anything anyway, just walked up and… there she was… And there… And there.” Despite the dark nature of the situation he still couldn't help but try to diffuse with humor, though the look on the officer's face showed he didn't agree. The man opened his mouth to say something further but was interrupted by a wet coughing chuckle from the subject of their conversation.

The head medic looked at them, “She's reacting better with him around, maybe it's best he just comes along.”

Grateful for the assist he nods at the medic, wordlessly hopping into the vehicle, noting the officer's scowl of disapproval. There was no move to stop him and soon they were off.

It had been 3 years since the barrier fell, and surprisingly the humans had been pretty decent with the reintroduction of monsters to society. There would always be those who couldn't adapt, but overall things were pretty good.

“Thank you again” the human softly uttered, and the paramedics quickly shushed her, telling her to rest her voice. As put together as she was, it was still too uncomfortable to look toward the girl's face so Papyrus hummed his assent. Once again he realized his phone was in his hand the poor responder ignored.

“h-hello? yeah the ambulance and police are here and it's all handled, thanks a skele-ton.” Hanging up he smiled at the choking laughter.

“Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to lay off the jokes until we at least have the girl put back together.” The head medic said with a small chuckle.

It occurred to Papyrus that he recognized them but the name didn't immediately come to mind so he shrugged it off. A ping on his phone caught his attention and he glanced at his brother's worried message. Sending him reassurance in return he looked over the human again. This was seriously the strangest way to meet someone, but the flickering colors of her soul irritated his recently established sense of stability. Unwilling to just let himself be at the mercy of fate, he felt it best to observe... just in case.


	2. Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader POV
> 
> You're semi-conscious this chapter, yay?

Your whole existence throbbed in agony.

Somehow you ended up on that sidewalk and it was only thanks to a stranger's kindness that you survived. Every time you tried to think of anything earlier your mind burst into agony until you either stopped or passed back out. The logical part of your brain figured the experience was traumatic enough you blocked it out, but shouldn't the whole event be blocked? Especially the part where you realized that you had been DISEMBOWELED!? Your instinctual side figured it was because you wanted to remember the kind individual that assisted you. Yeah, that had to be it right? Though… he (you assumed it was a he based on voice and little else) hadn't said much. Voice was really nice though.

Thankfully something blurry administered something to you which helped keep the panic of the situation from making you do something problematic like hyperventilate or sob hysterically. Of course, the annoying side-effect was you drifted in and out in a dizzying haze of confusion.

After one such dizzy nap, your found that a blue gloved hand patted your own, the confusion and questioning if you were actually dead only increasing until you turned towards the hand’s owner. A skeleton monster, large pools of blue light smiling up at you. His short and slightly chubby (how?) form was clothed in a grey padded shirt, black pants, and vibrant blue shoes, gloves, and bandana. Was this your savior? He looked much different than his voice suggested but it wouldn't be the first time you were wrong.

“ARE YOU FEELING ALRIGHT HUMAN?” His volume made your eardrums pop and firmly confirmed that no, this was someone new.

“Uhh, not really? I'm happy to be in one piece though.” Your voice was still raw but you were glad you could speak without feeling like razors were in your throat, or that your throat was made of razors? Either way.

“THESE HEALING HUMANS ARE NOT VERY GOOD AT THEIR JOBS THEN.” The skeleton who seemed smaller than you shook his head, his seeming perma-smile sloping towards a grimace.

“sans, the doctors are doing their best. humans just don't heal the same way we do.” There's the one who saved you. You send a grateful smile towards him as you look him over - trying to be subtle(You’re not). He's tall and lithe, with a simple orange hoodie and beige shorts, smiling just like the other skeleton. “good to see you awake and all together. remember me?”

You heartily nodded, quickly regretting it as pain bloomed over your eyes with colorful spots across your vision.

Tall skeleton let out a small chuckle, “all right, all right. no need to cause yourself a royal pain in the neck on my account. bro, Asgore is headed over. if there’s anything we can do to help our new friend, i’m sure he’ll find a way.” Sending a smirking wink your way, he motioned towards his brother, telling him to scoot a seat further. The smaller skeleton hesitated for a second, glancing between the two of you before reluctantly letting go of your hand and scooting.

As the tall skeleton plopped into the chair and relaxed his upper spine against the wall, you cleared your aching throat and murmured, “So, I have much to thank you for but, I wanted to start with an apology to your ruined evening. My name is y/n and thank you once again for saving me.” Your throat wheezed a little as you spoke your name.

Tall skeleton raised an… eyebrow? Browbone? Eyeridge? His smile stayed even though his eyes flicked down towards your chest just to return to your eyes. “well unless you were intending to end up… like that, then there’s no reason to apologize. the name’s Papyrus.” He stopped mid-sentence expecting his brother’s outburst.

“AND I AM THE MAGNIFICENT SANS! I AM VERY GLAD MY LAZY BROTHER DECIDED TO HELP YOU AS WELL. HUMAN, IT IS VERY INTERESTING TO MEET YOU. HOPEFULLY WHEN YOU ARE FEELING BETTER WE CAN PROPERLY MEET WITH PUZZLES AND FRIENDSHIP TACOS.” San’s smile and chipper attitude was certainly filling the air with ...magnificence. A small smile in return, you gave him a quick nod. You weren’t happy when the spots returned but it seemed your throat had given up already and you quite enjoyed his happy aura.

Refusing to bow down to the demands your body made, you attempted to continue the conversation. “Tacos … one of (gasp) fave…” It seemed your body won as your throat won out with a wracking cough from the irritation. Your companions immediately jumped to action, Papyrus leaning forward to gently help you sit up and rub your back and Sans hopping out of the room shrieking for water. If your throat wasn’t trying to murder you, you would’ve laughed at the reaction.

As the attack slowed down you opened your mouth towards Papyrus to apologize for the scare but he merely shook his head and put a hand over your mouth. “prob’ly best to avoid the chatter for now, ya? i already took your breath away once.” Sending a coy wink your way, you noticed his eye flicker down again towards your chest and back. Was he checking you out? Maybe just curious about humans?

No more time to mull the action over as Sans proudly strutted in, a pitcher of water in one hand, the giant paw of another monster in the other. And boy this new monster was the definition of massive. Filling the room with impressive fur-covered musculature, the new guest also wore a friendly but soft expression as he gazed down at you, only for a small glimmer of surprise to cross before returning to the previous kind eyes. He looked like some type of livestock in the form of a giant human, covered with a hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts.

Sans busied himself with a container of paper cups held on a nearby cabinet while the taller two held a silent conversation in expressions above you. You were so curious about what was going on, but all the attention and activity was just too much for your normally introverted self, so with deep regret, your eyes closed. At least until a gentle poke to your cheek brought your attention towards Sans, his wide soft blue eye lights very close. “I HEAR WATER IS SUPER IMPORTANT FOR HUMANS.” You could tell he was trying to keep quiet but even ‘whispering’ was still rather a start for your tired system. Gently he placed a cup in your hand, making sure you wouldn’t drop it before turning towards the others.

Taking a sip was a lot more of a laborious process than you remember it being. Sans eventually had to intervene and support the cup as you took sips, you couldn’t help giving a grateful smile towards him in thanks. His smile brightened in return.

Looking towards the other side of the room, you realized you must have taken yet another power nap at some point because there were several other people in your room, all of which were monsters of various races. This was definitely too much all at once. As your curious instincts buzzed around your mind wildly, your brain wisely started powering down before it could fry, I mean returned to the nap.


	3. Prod the Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader POV. Poking and prodding usually only makes more questions than answers.
> 
> (Should I slow my roll and only post the chapters once a week?)

Awaking once again, this time you were alone with Sans. Groggily you blinked in his direction, noticing he was happily humming and fiddling with a newspaper.

“How long was I out?” Your voice was rough but steady, a marked improvement.

His mouth popped into an 'o’ in surprise. “HUMAN! I'M GLAD YOU FINALLY ARE AWAKE. IT HAS BEEN DAYS.” 

You raised your eyebrow but accepted his words. “I’m surprised you stuck around.”

“THE MAGNIFICENT SANS NEVER ABANDONS A FRIEND IN NEED!” He proclaimed, holding the rolled newspaper up like a hero pointing a sword. You couldn’t help but giggle.

“While I appreciate your kindness, isn’t that a little dangerous? I mean, you don’t even know me.”

Sans seemed very pleased at your laughter but frowned at your words. “I AM VERY GOOD AT KNOWING A GOOD FRIEND WHEN I MEET THEM, AND YOU ARE GOING TO BE A GREAT FRIEND. BESIDES, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS IS A VERY WELL TRAINED WARRIOR. THAT’S WHY PAPY LEFT ME TO PROTECT YOU WHILE YOU WERE RECOVERING.” Finishing his spiel, he looked around. “I AM SUPPOSED TO INFORM THE NURSE WHEN YOU AWOKE, IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN GET FOR YOU WHILE I’M AWAY?”

You would have to be careful with this one. His sweet kindness would be all too easy to take advantage of; such a happy expression is too good for this world… as long as it was genuine. Rubbing your throat, you look around the room now that dizziness wasn’t threatening to shut you down. Spotting the water on the side table you shake your head. “I think I’ll be alright. Thanks anyway Sans.”

He nods and literally hops out of the room and dashes in what you assume is the direction of the nurse’s station.

While you have a moment to yourself, you try to recollect your thoughts. You had been in an accident? You were rescued by a monster who happened to be a skeleton. You were safely in a hospital. There had been a lot of monsters. You weren’t sure if you’d seen that many monsters before. One of them was guarding you? Why did you need to be guarded? Biting your inner lip, you wondered if the hospital had been able to get a hold of your family, or if you had anything with you when you were found. Hmm. Not a lot of information and too many questions.

Well, there wasn’t anything you could do about any of that right now, so you changed gears and looked around for something you could do. Surrounded by nothing but white, it became apparent that the only thing available to cut the tedium was the tv mounted in the wall of the room, but that wasn’t helpful since you couldn’t locate the remote. Lovely.

By the time Sans returned with a nurse in tow, you had resorted to flipping an empty paper cup, trying to land it on your head. Sans struggled to withhold a giggle, clearing his throat and returning to your side with another pose. The nurse pushed past him and began tapping at the needles and bandages attached to your body as she jotted down results.

“It’s good to see you awake. You had us worried there for a bit darling. Do you remember your name?”

You nodded, and as the nurse looked to you expectantly after long moments you flushed a little. “Y-y/n.”

“Good.” A couple more prods forced a hiss of pain from your lips. Sans’ eternal smile rounded down a bit at the sound. “Do you know what today is?”

“Eh, not really. I’ve never been good at dates to start with though.”

The nurse clicked her tongue and jotted more notes. “Mr.Skeleton was it?”

“Y-YES! PLEASE JUST CALL ME SANS!”

“I’m going to have to ask you, again, to use your inside voice. Also, you will need to wait outside for the next part.”

“B-BUT I’M HERE TO…”

“Sir, you need to step out of the room.” Her voice was firm and final. Sans’ smile slipped a bit more as he let out a sigh.

“MISS Y/N, IF YOU NEED ME DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL FOR HELP!” His voice had lowered in volume, but it still carried. You smiled and nodded as he left.

“Alright, now that the thing is gone. Please, how did you end up like this? Are they harassing you? I wasn’t able to catch them on anything yet but I’ve been trying to keep an eye on them. Stupid police aren’t much help unless I have proof.” She huffed as she continued to manipulate your sore body.

Wasn’t it supposed to be numb? You’re pretty sure hospitals are supposed to keep your pain down while you healed. Your mind refused to work while the woman moved you, lifting your meager hospital dress to check on previously covered injuries. “Uhm, I’m not sure what you’re trying to get at, but the only thing I know about these guys is that they saved me when I would’ve died on the road. I can’t remember how I got the injuries, but it has nothing to do with them.” You couldn’t remember so you just went with your gut instincts. Heh, gut. Ouch, you really needed to slow your roll with laughing, even internally.

The nurse looked at you with a look of disbelief and clicked her tongue again. “Come on, they had to have done something. We called the number you had listed under family and no one answered. Even had a cop check it out and the place looked abandoned.”

That definitely cut your giggles down. “W-wait, what? My family has been at that address for generations. Like how did it look abandoned… cause if it was just messy that would be my Mom.”

Letting out a huff, the nurse rolled her eyes as she replaced the thin cloth over your nakedness. “I wouldn’t know, it’s just what the cops told us. You didn’t have anyone else listed as next of kin so the stupid monsters got the final say. I mean normally that would not have flown in _my_ hospital…” Okay, this woman was being way too full of herself. “But they were waving stupid law terms around like ‘diplomatic immunity’ and ‘royal decree’ and some such shit.” Really? And as odd as that is, is it as odd that you Ms.Nurse ranting and cursing around a patient? Thankfully she dissolved into incoherent grumbles as she finished her poking and prodding.

“Uh, is there any way I could possibly see my paperwork?”

“Huh? Oh, sure darling. I just gotta let the doc see you first. He has it with him anyway so two birds one stone, right?” She chuckles darkly. “And seriously, if you think of anything the abominations have done, let me know? I want them out of my ward ASAP.”

Okay, this racist shit was pissing you off, but no good would come from antagonizing the lady they left in charge of you, so you simply nod and she walks back out. Sans comes rushing back to your side the moment the nurse left.

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT? THE LADY FELT VERY… RUDE.”

You can’t help but smile again. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… if you can help it, try not to be alone around that lady. She’s bad news.”

“THE MAGNIFICENT SANS IS AN EXCELLENT JUDGE OF CHARACTER!” His cheerful demeanor thankfully clears the air.

You were about to ask him if they found any items when they picked you up when the doctor walks in. The elderly man calmly looked at the two of you with a raised eyebrow. “The charts said that a family member had been in charge of your care while you were unconscious… this doesn’t seem to be…”

You cut off the doctor. “Whaaat? You can’t tell from the bone structure? Of course he’s family, this is my cousin.” You smile as you pat Sans on the head. He beams and keeps quiet for once.

“I… uh, oh. Well alright then. The nurse informed me that you would want to see your paperwork?”

“Yes please.”

Before he gave your files over the doctor insisted you get business out of the way. Shrugging you went along with it. He seemed to be very uncomfortable about how close to death you had come, throwing glances Sans’ way as he spoke. It didn't take long to realize that because your new friend was a skeleton… in a hospital… they were freaking out. You gave the doctor props, he was obviously of the old mindset, ‘keep to your own’, but he was doing his best not to seem as intimidated as he must feel.

Eventually, you were told of the grievous injuries that landed you in this bed, and that they suspected it was caused by a giant beast of some sort, something about the depth of claw marks. You could tell the description was getting to Sans by the look of horror and queasiness that crossed his face. You leaned over and rubbed his back, a comforting smile to try to ease his mind.

They hadn’t figured out what could’ve made such injuries as deep into the city as the university was, and that’s where you’d been found. There was no blood trail either, no collateral damage to prove the attack had happened there. It was a huge mystery.

Well, now you knew why someone felt the need to have you under guard. “May I please see my paperwork now?” Your tone must’ve surprised them, as both the doctor and Sans stared at you for a moment. What? Just cause you didn’t see the need to freak out right now about mysterious beasts attacking you without warning didn’t mean you weren’t going to do it sometime. Just maybe after you’d found out more about yourself. One life-altering problem at a time, please.

Hesitantly the doctor handed you the files, and as you scanned the pages things felt really off. A lot of fields were left blank and the few things that were filled in felt like they couldn’t be the truth. Was this really you on this paper? Some of the oldest stuff on the charts was identifiers like a tiny birthmark you hadn’t known you had on the back of your knee, and a few other insignificant details that you didn’t remember but as you checked and enlisted Sans to help check, it was right. Something was definitely off.

Handing the paper back to the doctor you thanked him and asked when you would be allowed to leave. He said you were stable enough to could go home now, but they weren’t sure why you were okay this soon after being mostly disemboweled. They intended to keep you overnight 'just in case'.

“It would be best if you could stay with someone to keep an eye on you for the first week. Just in case something… happens.” He nervously glanced at Sans again. “Perhaps if you had any human relatives?”

You let out a long-held sigh. “Doctor, please don’t insult my cousin. He has an excellent bedside manner, not like a certain nurse who completely man-handled me and was very rude.”

Once again, Sans beamed at being called your cousin and though the doctor wanted to call you out, he didn’t. Nodding to you, he patted your shoulder. “I know who you mean. I’ll give her a talking to if you don’t mind leaving this matter to me.”

“As long as she doesn’t take it out on any of my family or guests, I’ll be happy to keep this out of the courts.” You quietly respond. He nods again and walks out.

As soon as the door was secured, Sans hopped over to your side, no trace of his former queasy expression. “Y/N! DO I REALLY GET TO BE YOUR COU-”

Suddenly Papyrus was standing on the other side of your bed. Sans’ words ceased as suddenly as it started. The taller skeleton raised a brow bone toward the smaller. Nothing was said for a moment before Papyrus filled the silence. “so it’s good to see you awake again. i hope my brother didn’t wear you out… or cause any problems.”

Sans shrunk slightly at the implication, but you quickly shook your head. “Oh no, he was a real life-saver. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had been alone with my thoughts… or that nurse.” You frowned at the memory but patted the crestfallen skeleton on his shoulder. “Right, they said you were in charge of me while I was out?”

Papyrus had smiled fondly at your words and way Sans perked up with your praise. “uh, yup. mostly Asgore, but as invested as i am… can’t say i’d just leave you to the wolves. Good thing we didn’t too. Something about this whole situation just feels… off.” Once again he glanced at your chest, raising an eye ridge. “So bro, anything important happen?”

Sans saluted and briefed Papyrus on the gist of your time awake, supplemented by you at points. “BUT FROM THE SOUNDS OF IT, THERE’S NO ONE HOME WHERE HER FAMILY LIVES. IF THAT’S REALLY TRUE, SHE SHOULD JUST COME STAY WITH US FOR A LITTLE BIT.” Sans suggestion didn’t surprise you, but it still made you feel odd none-the-less.

“yeah, I agree bro. deep injuries take a while to heal, and since we live near her classes…”

“Wait, wait, wait… what’s this about me having classes?”

Both monsters blinked at you.

“so you don’t even remember that much? this may end up being trickier than i thought.” Papyrus responded with a sigh, Sans merely patted your head with a sympathetic nod.

You would have to agree. Things weren’t looking too good and it was just getting stranger every new question answered. Welp, at least it felt like weird situations were par for the course for you. With a small yawn, you leaned back against the bed. “Guys, I’m tired. Since they’re having me stay overnight I guess I’ll just try to spend it sleeping. Thanks again for having my back, especially after that nightmare nurse.” With that, you drifted back into the numbness of sleep.


	4. Not the Best Idea **

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus reviews the day thus far.  
> Smut after the ----
> 
> I was going to wait a week to post this but I had a bad day, so...

He just couldn't figure it out. Changing positions from being hunched forward as he'd been half the day, Papyrus leaned against the wall as he folded his arms across his chest. Spending the day keeping an eye on the resting human, he only came up with more questions than answers. Sure, monsters may enjoy puzzles but usually, there was some sort of key - a logic that could be followed to unravel everything and eventually it would all fall into place.

Looking back on everything, he just couldn't find how anything fit into place.

Case 1, their freaking soul kept changing. There was no precedence, and while he was starting to see a bit of a pattern on why it changed when it did, it still was not even supposed to be a thing.

Case 2, lack of evidence of how they got hurt in that alleyway. The police may not be saying much to him, but the things he overheard were as illogical as everything else about this whole situation. There was no way a 'huge beast' could make it so far into town without being spotted and obviously, no monster would do something like that, unlike what that nurse was spreading.

Case 3, how were they not freaking out? They have literally been ripped apart and they were just calm as a cucumber during this whole thing, like who does that?

Okay, maybe that last one wasn't so much a problem with logic as it was just something he was irritated about. He was supposed to be the chill guy here.

Letting out a deep sigh, his hand dipped into his pocket automatically feeling the packet of smokes before he remembered the no-smoking policy. Taking a moment to fish out the suckers he kept as backup for just such a situation, he groaned as he realized he'd finished his last one earlier when Sans had finished filling out the human's paperwork.

Wait, how had his brother known what to write?

Sans had met them in the lobby when they arrived in the ambulance. The doctors had rushed her into the ER as he found himself in the possession of a shit-ton of paperwork and no idea what to write, after all, how do you quantify that mess? Eventually, Sans took over and filled them out which he was fine with. Procedure and formalities were always more of his forte and it gave Papyrus a chance to dip out for his last smoke.

In no time, a nurse who gave off a very condescending vibe attempted to get them to leave in the normal human way - accusing them of anything - only to have the ambulance medic Papyrus eventually recognized as a former classmate shoo her away. It was then that the man relayed that they couldn't get a hold of any next-of-kin. Being the semi-responsible adult that he was, he shrugged and asked if there was anything he could do, much to his brother's approval.

It seemed like moments but suddenly he found himself in charge of an unconscious human's existence as she clung to life thanks to the machines she was hooked up to, the flashing changes of her soul's colors fading in and out, forcing him to wonder if he should really interfere further. Something akin to hope prodded him towards doing what he could.

Somewhere in there, he called up his buddy Asgore (former king of the monsters), and explained for the umpteenth time to Sans that hospitals required a level of quietness, he hadn't noticed the girl regained consciousness.

His bro did his usual act of being naively cheerful and Papyrus carefully watched the interaction. She seemed nice, and her reactions were genuine... which made him wonder how she had laughed while dying. Is she unstable? Well, Pap certainly wasn't all that stable himself, but he wasn't a species that could decimate their entire race on a whim. Still, as the observed interaction went on he noticed that her soul color stabilized at moments.

The soul flickered between integrity and perseverance talking to Sans. Now it was normal for human souls to be one of 7 colors based on their personality's main trait, (red-determination, orange-bravery, yellow-Justice, green-kindness, cyan/light blue-patience, indigo/dark blue-integrity, purple-perseverance) as a child they generally only held one. Some adults have been known to show a main trait color threaded by up to two other colors in rare cases. Not to say that everyone had one-note personalities, people held all values after all, it was just an indicator of strong tendencies.

It also was known but uncommon for souls to change color on occasion, usually the effect of a major life event or something world-view changing. Not some weird mood ring like this one almost seemed to be doing. It was super distracting that her normal mode seemed to be set on changing randomly too. Yay, more mysteries to solve.

Thankfully, Sans couldn't see souls like he could. Papyrus was the judge for a reason. He has always been able to read people, usually without even needing to CHECK them, though his ability to do so without a confrontation made him exceedingly efficient with coming up with tactics. 

As Papyrus ruminated, Asgore arrived and saw the situation immediately. Their eyes met and quickly they established that this was important, possibly dangerous, and they were going to need as many trustworthy eyes on the girl as possible. As Asgore called for reinforcements Papyrus looked back at the sleeping human, his younger brother hovering over her like a worried mother hen. He could barely contain the smirk twitching at his jaw. Too. Damn. Cute. His brother is seriously the best.

It wasn't long before the police joined the party around the same time as the 'reinforcements' arrived, it seems a ‘concerned nurse’ contacted them to escort the ‘troublemakers’ from the premises. No one could prove they were a problem and the police gave them a warning to keep the noise down and the nurse a talking-to for calling them without a proper reason.   
Everything being settled with the police, plans were made, information was gathered, and someone slipped a butterscotch cinnamon pie in that was just as quickly gobbled down. It seemed like forever but it was only a few moments ago that things eventually got ironed out.

The human had woken up at some point but was just as quickly back out. Seems the poor thing can hardly keep her eyes open. Papyrus can't help the sardonic smirk as he mentally thinks, 'same'.

"PAPY, IT SEEMS VISITING HOURS ARE NEARLY OVER. THE NURSE SAYS WE CAN'T STAY ANY MORE." Sans' smile waned as he spoke, his softest tone to date.

"yeah bro? welp, looks like things are about wrapped up here anyway." With one last glance at the resting human, the lanky skeleton swept his smaller brother out of the room and guided him towards the parking lot. Noting that those little blue eye lights were pinned on the human's sleeping form with a worried cant to his smile, Papyrus squeezed his brother's rounded foam pauldron. "don't worry, we'll be back tomorrow. we're her guardians now right?"

The small blue lights swelled into little stars, though the smile that accompanied it was still tinged with weariness. "YES."

"come on bro, we need to get home soon. it's almost bedtime and i haven't even had a chance to nap."

"REALLY PAPY? I'M PROUD OF YOU! YOU REALLY SHOULD STOP ALL THAT NAPPING ALL TOGETHER THOUGH."

"but bro, sleeping comes naturally to me, i could do it with my eyes closed."

"JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE GOOD AT SOMETHING..." Sans froze as he realized the joke, and resisting the urge to chastise his smirking brother, he let out a small series of grumbling noises as he led the way to their car. "PAPY, TODAY HAS BEEN LONG AND TIRESOME AND I AM NOW GOING TO GET US HOME BEFORE EITHER OF US SAYS SOMETHING WE REGRET."

"nyeh, nice one bro." Papyrus snickered. Sans must be very sleepy to have not noticed that one. Letting Sans drive home, he had to agree, it had been an exhausting day. 

Finally… FINALLY he was able to sit in his own home with his own thoughts for half a moment. Stars what had he gotten himself into?

\-----

Rather than agonizing any further, Papyrus decided he would try to relax in his own room for the first time in forever (in reality it was only the better part of the day) slumping over onto his bed. Breathing deeply, he let all his stress over the past 24 hours seep out, preparing himself for a good long sleep.

Fate must have had something against relaxing because it was at such a moment that he felt … something. Startled, he sat straight up looking around. Nothing was out of place, just him here, by himself in his room. Granted, his room had a literal trash tornado in the middle and a collection of dirty socks under the desk, but he knew his trash and it was exactly where he’d left it. It was just him there. Then why did he sense…?

Suddenly, he felt a sensation. It was… gentle. Like as delicate as a butterfly wing, but almost as if it were engulfing his soul. Papyrus nearly ripped his favorite orange hoody off, as well as his black undershirt just to check that everything was where it should be. Yup, there it was. His glowing soul, pulsing beneath his ribs right where it should be. Nothing else was there, but then how? It was terrifying because if something could affect his soul this directly without even being here…

His thoughts were cut off as once again the sensation rippled across his senses. The white of his soul flashed with the orange of his magic briefly. The hell? Frowning, he waited to see if it would continue, thankful that whoever was messing with him didn't outright kill him.

There, again the sensation rolled over him, stronger than last time - almost explorative. He could almost sense the intent behind it, maybe if he concentrated harder? It was then that he realized he was starting to breathe heavier, his magic prickling in slight arousal. Well… this was certainly unexpected. But what about the past day had been?

Laying back, he decided to go with the flow. Whoever had his number obviously didn't mean any harm, and his whole reason for being in his room was to relax anyway so why not?

The pressure of the ripples cascaded over Papyrus, the stimulation making his magic fizzle in excitement. The intent… was confusion? Curiosity? Heh. Well, it seems that they were on even ground at least.

As the moments wore on, the touches became more assured and quicker. The lanky skeleton bit back a moan. Being the lazy bag of bones he was, he let the… Whoever… do the work. They were going to anyway.

Kicking his pants off and snapping his door locked with a quick push of magic, he nearly choked as the rush was suddenly strong and held on much longer than before. Shuddering, his mind was lost to the haze of lust washing over him.

The stroking was mind-shattering, and he was so close all too soon. His soul was nearly awash with magic, dripping in its own kind of liquid. In the moment of his climax, he found himself at peace with everything, almost as if a voice was telling him everything was perfect with the world, his mind blissfully blanking. Papyrus didn't even realize he was yelling until insistent thuds interrupted his peace.

“PAPY ARE YOU OKAY IN THERE?!”

Panting, he internally cursed. Schooling his tone, he quickly tried to diffuse his brother's worry.

“yeah bro. just doing some stress relief. things have been weird today.”

Completely the truth.

“OH, WELL LET ME KNOW BEFORE NEXT TIME OKAY? You really scared me.” It wasn't often that his brother's volume lowered on its own. Quickly redressing, the tall skeleton opened the door and felt a smack of guilt.

The shorter skeleton was looking to the floor, cyan tinted tears brimming at the corners of his eyes.

“sorry Sans. i promise i'll give you a heads up next time, kay?” He pulled his brother into a tight hug. “it's been a long day. why don't we get ready for bed?”

Sans looked back up and nodded with a sniff, taking his hand - nearly dragging him back to his own tidy room for their nightly ritual of a bedtime story. They were both full adults, but the ritual was something they’d done for so long that it didn’t feel quite right without it.

Making sure the Sans was comfortable in his rocket ship shaped bed, Papyrus opened up the well-worn book they always read and began the story.


	5. Adjustment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Settling into your life, you make some friends, and then try to avoid them :D

Blinking dazedly at the brightness of the midafternoon light after all that time in the controlled lighting of the hospital, you couldn't help but wish that the day were cloudier. Gently Papyrus held your shoulder as he guided you to the beat-up jalopy Sans was already settled in.

"you know he's gonna want to show you everything the moment we get home." Papyrus all but snickered as he ensured you didn't hit your head on your way into the backseat.

"You sure you want to play watch the space cadet this week? I'm sure you both have plenty of things that are really important that you should be doing." You couldn't help but curl a little in on yourself as you buckled up.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THE MAGNIFICENT SANS NEVER LEAVES A FRIEND IN TROUBLE, ESPECIALLY IF THE TROUBLE IS POSSIBLY NEVER WAKING UP AGAIN."

"Nyeh, and it gives Sans an excuse to have a skele-ton of sleepovers all week."

"BOO, PAPY YOU ALREADY USED THAT ONE 3 TIMES TODAY!"

"yeah bro, but finding new material makes me bone-tired."

Letting out a groan Sans thumped his head into the steering wheel momentarily before switching the car into gear.

"I SWEAR BROTHER, I WILL LET YOU FIND YOUR OWN WAY HOME IF YOU DO NOT STOP THIS INCESSANT BOONDOGGLING!"

"k."

With a momentary pouty glare aimed at the orange-clad skeleton, Sans carefully merged into traffic and provided a very safe trip to the small apartment the two called home. 

Staring out the window, you couldn't help but zone out a bit, distracted by the vague memories of last night's dream. It was super hazy but something felt important about it, though the only thing you could really remember was it had to do with something white? Your mind snapped into gear as the car stopped in it's designated parking spot, Sans already ushering you towards the old brick building.

"SURPRISE!" Sans intoned as he opened the door.

"Sans, we're supposed to be the ones to yell that." A rough but friendly voice greeted you as the doors were opened to reveal a small group of monsters, streamers, and a cake. Oh, it's a welcoming party? You gave a wane smile and waved at the group, feeling awkward as all get out.

Everyone was pretty forgiving though, you had just left the hospital and all.

Undyne was your favorite, I mean who wouldn't get along with a sweet non-threatening fellow anime and fandom lover? Didn't hurt that she was a total cutie, between her vibrant but complementary natural color scheme (soft aqua skin with crimson hair and fins) and her perchance for geek chic, she was a total babe. You honestly would've let yourself be attracted to her if she wasn't so obviously devoted to her girlfriend. Homewrecking was NOT your jam.

To be honest, her girlfriend was pretty awesome too, looking akin to a thickly built golden dragon - her muscles were only the second most attention-grabbing feature. Her loud and in-your-face personally was the real attention draw. Not to say she wasn't nice, she certainly was, but she was intense. Intense like randomly grabbing a couch and suplexing it just to make a point. Yeah, that happened. Which was unfortunate since that was where you were supposed to sleep.

A quiet or rather silent addition to their friend group was named Lesser Dog because he was well...a dog. A dog who wore thick plate mail and snuck his head under your hand for pets much to your delight. According to Papyrus the guy only wore the armor out of old habit, but seemingly adored you and your amazing pets. It also turned out that back in the underground Sans, Alphys, and Lesser Dog all used to work in the royal guard together. 

Another quiet friend was the last you met, a pink ghost by the name of Happstablook. Though Lesser Dog couldn't speak human he still spoke more to you, Happstablook was too nervous to say much. After giving him space and kind smiles through the meet n’ greet, he was the first to exchange numbers with you when Undyne gifted a phone she personally made for you.

You were a little overwhelmed and made sure to give everyone a hug as they left for the day.

That night you slept in Sans’ bed while the brothers shared Papyrus’.

It also happened to be the second night you dreamed of the strange white floating thing that just seemed to slowly pulse as it and you were in a nondescript room. The last time you had this dream you interacted with it out of curiosity and because somehow it gave you a happy vibe when you petted it… it was kinda weird when it started leaking goo and flashing though.

Not sure you wanted to touch it again, you wandered a bit finding no matter how far you walked you ended up not really moving away from the ‘room’. 

Kinda boring dream. Normally something would've happened by this point. Boy, you wished you could change channels or wake up or something.

With nothing else to do, you sat down next to the white object (which upon further inspection looked like an upside-down figurative heart) and began talking to it. It seemed amused, so you just randomly made up a couple stories about what you wished were happening in this dream.

Eventually, that got tiring. How much longer was this going to continue?

Rolling your eyes, you decided to see if touching the object would make you wake up faster, it worked last time… possibly. It could've been a coincidence. Either way…

You rubbed the thing without much caution this time, it seemed to almost jump in place. Maybe you were too sudden? With a shrug you traced around the edge in an outline, noting the vibes from it were almost like it was desperately trying to communicate with you.

Of course, you had no idea what it was trying to say but it did react favorably to gentle strokes, so you continued until you were suddenly dropped out of your dream by someone making a noise in the living room… suspiciously like screaming into a pillow.

With a tired groan, you rolled over and tried to pass back out. Nope, not working.

The rest of the night was spent customizing your new phone.

As the next day greeted you to a pair of grumpy skeletons, you wondered if it was bothering them to have to care for some random human they didn't know. They seemed like nice guys but they were definitely putting themselves out for your sake.

It was even more obvious by the way Papyrus took the day off from his multiple jobs to reacquaint you to your school schedule. It was super awkward when no one seemed to recognize you and all the material was like you were translating Greek.

You assured your concerned chaperone that you'd be fine, but all the inconsistency was really getting to you.

Thankfully, you started texting Happstablook in an effort to ground yourself. The shy music lover was a great distraction and seemed to be quite happy (hah) to entertain you.

Actually, the whole rest of the week you tried reaching out to all your new monster friends and connected most with the introverted ghost. You would've done better with Undyne but she was busy with the lab most of the time, you totally understood that it was her passion.

One thing bothered you though, despite only having the white heart dream a couple times, your nightly routine never seemed to go back to normal. It was also concerning that both of the skeleton brothers were in a similarly exhausted state, even after replacing the destroyed couch so everyone could sleep separately.

Your week of observation was over and you decided you would stand on your own two feet cause the guys seriously needed some good sleep.

You'd miss all the hanging out though.

\-----

“W-WHAT?! YOU’RE LEAVING US?!” Sans whined with the most energy you'd seen him carry all that week.

“Don't worry buddy, you'll still see me around but I can't rely on your hospitality for the rest of my life.” You gently pull your skelebuddy into a hug. Sans snuggles into your shoulder with a small sigh. “Besides, I don't know why but it doesn't look like you guys are sleeping too well with me around and we all know how important going to bed on time is.”

You smile down to the smaller skeleton and he smiled back, pulling back. “OKAY, BUT IF YOU NEED US YOU KNOW WHERE WE’LL BE.”

“See ya later Sans. Get some rest please, I'll let Pap know when he goes on break.”

You had become quite close with the little skeleton, and it hurt to see his big eyes fill with magical cyan tears but you knew this was for the best. One last pat to the head and you were out the door with the backpack they'd bought you.

\-----

The first few days away from the skelebro home (apt) were the hardest, it didn't help that Papyrus kept trying to convince you to come back. Your stubborn side refused though, especially after the next time everyone hung out together and saw how well-rested both of them were. You couldn’t let them be miserable just cause life as a hobo was difficult. You persisted.

The next day you figured out that if you napped between classes in the university's library, you were rested enough for the day. Taking up Alphys’ offer for free personal training at the gym she worked in, you took advantage of the showers where you also washed your one outfit. Despite the soreness from exercise, things were working out pretty well, at least except the food problem. 

You hated using your friends for any reason, but you may have pushed hanging out around dinnertime. Sorry guys. At least no one seemed bothered by it, but you had a stubborn pride about being self-sufficient, so this would be something you worked on… right after the next class… oh maybe after this nap instead… zzz.

\-----

Papyrus was in a pickle. He had promised Asgore that he and his brother would keep a close eye on the girl and had done just that despite the sleepless nights (especially after the first night where he’d had another … soul attack?) the household suffered during her stay.

He couldn't figure out why - he had even watched her from his door one night trying to see if she was actively trying to cause a problem but nope… the whole night she was just there, sleeplessly lounging like he was.

It was frustrating, to say the least, and he was almost deliriously happy when he got her call during his shift a week later, saying that she was going to stay somewhere else. He had never slept so well as he did that night.

It wasn’t like he disliked the girl, quite the contrary - she was fun, chill, and treated his brother like family. He had even gotten used to her soul’s constant shifting, though the soul seemed a little duller than before, maybe it was lack of sleep? He just couldn't risk letting his guard down and stars that was extra exhausting. 

Speaking of which, letting her leave made keeping an eye on her much trickier. It wouldn't work if she was suspicious, and between multiple jobs and his own single night class, he barely had time to think let alone spy on a human who he couldn't find unless she came over for dinner. Granted, she came over pretty often, but still.

Why were the cute humans such a pain the tailbone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say, I hope everyone is staying safe with this stupid coronavirus going around. Wash your hands, practice social distancing, and please remember to hydrate!
> 
> I don't know you, but I appreciate the fact that you would read this shitty story thus far and so please, please take good care of yourself. Someone out there cares about you!


	6. Tripping on Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is unedited because I just didn't have time since I still have to go to work and my SO has decided that I need to pay more attention since I've been at work and they're going crazy being cooped up.
> 
> I'm not really essential, just a dishwasher, but I guess food is important to people? I dunno. I hope I don't die xD
> 
> I'm sorry this is probably going to be very confusing. If anyone wants to help me proof/edit these things please let me know. I'm tired from having to sneak this between housecare, work, and making sure my family gets all the help they need. Stupid Coronavirus.

The area was dark, flashing images of three figures did in the room with you before it faded back into black. You could feel breath at the back of your neck.

Music played in your mind as three songs, three voices, all cascaded around you. Overlapping as they began a catchy but unnerving narrative as you were attacked by a figure that looked suspiciously like Sans, wearing a hoodie with shorts covered in blood, one eye blazing cyan. His strikes were powerful and precise, razor sharp bones that pulled deep gashes of your blood and giant… dragon? dog? skulls with lasers blasting you with agonizing insta-death.

Behind him, two similar-looking children were the sources of the other songs, one covered in dust holding a knife, the other covered in blue blood-covered bones sticking out of their body like a pin-cushion.

Each time you died, the song restarted and the attacks began again, not varying. Eventually you figured out that if you were somehow able to avoid damage, the dream went further instead of looping. God this was weird, and terrifying. Each time you died, your body also reset but you could still feel the lingering ache from the old injuries. It was enough to drive you mad.

As bad as all that was, you felt that you had once known the song the others were seemingly derived from? It had held an important place in your heart, but you couldn’t recall it for the agony pushed into your mind from the experience.

As you finally made it through the song, the child with the knife was instantly in Sans’ place, everything starting over. You let out an scream of anguish as the child drives their knife into you over and over again, movements impossibly fast. Each reset flashing through you even faster than with the sans look-like.

Suddenly you awoke to someone harshly shaking your shoulder, you couldn’t be happier to see the orange hoody wearing skeleton than almost any other moment. Okay well, maybe only second to him saving your life. Crying, you latched onto his chest as he kindly stroked your hair.

“uh, you gonna be okay kiddo? that didn’t look like too pleasant a nap ya had there.”

Sniffling, you nodded and blinked at him. “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t have class till later.”

“heh, you’d be right about that but it’s been a little bit since we hung out - the two of us. sooooo I thought I’d just pop by and see if you were still around. found ya’ on my first guess.” He sent a wink your way which you had become immune to, you were pretty sure he winked as habitually as he wore that cocky/kind smile. “also, brought a snack since I noticed you’ve been hittin’ the books pretty hard. you do know that you don’t have to graduate all at once right?”

You would’ve rolled your eyes, but the mere mention of food made you jump and start patting him down.

“whoa, hey there! no need to jump my bones, heh.” He pulled a to-go bag from his favorite eatery from behind his back. Muffet had no loyaler a patron than the honey drinking skeleton. Even when he was treating his friends.

You flushed a little at the suggestion and your over-eagerness but still reach towards the bag eagerly. “Hush you. Foooooooooood….” You curl your fingers in the universal gesture for ‘gimmie’. He snickers as he hands you the bag and you almost shred it in your hurry to stuff your face.

Spider donuts and a cinnamon bunny. Normally you’d protest eating so much sweetness in one sitting but it’s been a whole half-day without food and your body was starting to let you know that you weren’t allowed to be both hungry and tired. You ate the donut like a feral animal while your friend stared at you with an unreadable expression, doing his usual glance at your chest. You’d gotten used to it already and while you still wondered why, he wasn’t harming anything so you were over it.

“Thank you so much Pap!” You grinned at him as you stuffed the bunny into your phone’s inventory for later. His smile made a return. “Was there anything you wanted to do? I have,” you check the time. “About a half-hour before I start my next class.”

“just wanted to hang to be honest, I’m on break and my co-worker doesn’t know when to shut his yap.” The laid-back slacker sat in the chair next to you, propping his sneakers on the desk. You rolled your eyes and pulled your phone back out, loading a video on the internet streaming service and leaned your cheek on his shoulder. He lifted a eyeridge but didn’t say anything as you quietly handed him half the earbud and began to show him your most recent favorite videos. It was nice to relax for half a minute.

Before you headed off to class Pap told you that the guys were planning on hanging out at Muffet’s later and he’d text the address to you. Agreeing to the meetup, you waved and went to class, a small pit of apprehension curling in your stomach. Why? You’d have to figure it out later - these classes weren’t gonna learn themselves. You wish they would.

With classes done and out of the way, you headed towards the place Papyrus nearly worshipped, Muffet’s. It was a quaint little bakery/diner on the outskirts of the commercial area. You wished that humans wouldn’t try so hard to keep monsters out of their lives, after all monsters had all treated you better on than any human had on average. You're sure that with a little but of monster influence that humans could be a kinder race too.

Smiling at the thought of monsters and humans on equal terms, you push through the antique door separating Muffet's from the street. It barely took a glance to spot your friends in a large corner booth, all chattering happily. Happstablook sat in the both next to them since the main table was filled, you plopped down next to him. “So, what'd I miss?”

Happy jumps a little, but cans and smiles at you when he turns in your direction. The others let out a little cheer now that you've made your appearance.

“Took you long enough punk, we had to start pre-partying without you, haha.” Alphys leaned over the both cushion and have her customary whack to your shoulder.

Grunting at the impact you gave the area of impact a rub, “Pre-partying for what exactly?”

“My girl finally got the research grant she's been writing her pretty little butt off for.” Alphys swerves around to send a glare Papyrus’ way. “I'm surprised that dingus didn't tell ya when he invited you.”

Your eyes lit up, giving Undyne an enthusiastic thumbs up. The fish woman flushes at her wife's praise with a happy smile.

“Good job Undyne! I'm really glad all that work paid off. Uhm, what is it that you're studying anyway? I think it's like the third time I've asked haha.”

Undyne giggles a little and quietly begins rambling about something excitedly, but too quietly for you to hear well. You try leaving as little closer but by the time you're hanging off the backrest by your gut the others are looking at you and laughing. The scientist glances around a moment before catching on.

“Uhh, did you catch any of that?”

You shake your head, only to lose your balance and end up slipping into Sans’ shoulder. “Eerp, sorry th…”

The skeleton was smiling at you as per usual but when your eyes met, the dream from earlier flashed in your mind, the repeated sensations of sharp bone slicing through flesh startled a yelp from you as you jumped back into the other booth, falling straight into the floor under the table with a resounding crack.

Uh oh. How do you recover from this? That overreaction was pretty suspicious. Shit, they were all coming over to make sure you were okay. Alright, just play it cool.

“You look rather uncomfortable down here, maybe you should get up?” Happy gently asked, sitting next to you - as much as a gift can sit.

“Th-that's a great idea. Uh yes, the floor is rather… bad.” Great job, totally smooth.

“HUMAN, are you alright? That was a rather large sound you made when you fell.” Sans was peering down at you from his seat.

You could feel their eyes on you as the others asked to your well being as well. You could've sworn that Papyrus was staring. “Oh no, I'm fine.”

“You looked a little jumpy there, anything wrong?” The observant one asked.

“Nah, just got startled, but I have a talent for being clumsy so… it seems like it added up is all.” Well, none of that was untrue. Of course you know that Papyrus was a living lie detector, and would be able to read between the lines. Great, now you wanted to hide more.

“Alright, well we got a bit of partying to do so get up and let's get the fun started!” Alphys roared as lesser dog howled.

Sitting back up properly, you find Undyne and Sans have switched seats. Undyne smiles, now finally able to speak to you at her normal volume.

“I was saying that my work with Souls has finally gotten she attention. We're studying the differences between human and monster souls and the effects of long-time interactions between monster magic and human determination. It's really quite exciting.”

You looked at her quizzically. “How do you study something figurative?”

Undyne's smile faltered. “Wh-what?”

The table groaned. It was Alphys who spoke up. “What is it with freaking humans and not knowing about their own damn souls?!”

It was then that Undyne caught up. “Oh, oh goodness. Well, we'll have to talk about that… later. For now, just know that I've been looking forward to this since my days as the royal scientist. Honestly, I can't believe how quickly they…”

Your mind departed as your eyes caught the unwavering eye lights of both brothers on the opposite side of the table. Your nerves jump again but you manage to keep from reacting. Slowly you inch down into your seat and turn around to face your ghost friend again.

It was obvious that you couldn't hide a damn thing. While your timid friend just gave you an encouraging smile and began to show you some of his new song ideas, you were formulating a plan.

Happstablook really did have great song ideas, but you couldn't be as enthusiastic as you usually were. Excusing yourself to the bathroom, you wandered in that direction only waiting till last minute as you passed the exit to dash out of the restaurant.

You didn't look back as you ran, clearing your mind of everything but your escape and how to hide from a man who could literally teleport and your genius friends. Man, you really wish you hadn't been so scared of his little brother.

In the late spring heat, a human disappeared from detection.


	7. Fuck **

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unedited chapter, smut alert!
> 
> Your avoidance is nearing ninja levels, shall we check in?

Fuck.

Papyrus was already tired of trying to track down the human and now she’s gone and become even harder to find. What the heck was that about anyway?

It had been a pretty good day. He had finally used his superior intellect to deduce that you kept going to class and would be found in the vicinity directly prior to, or post, such classes. Knowing your schedule, it was easy enough to spot you after a short time wandering. Even got to spend a little time together, and it was downright pleasant. Especially the way you rested your softness against his shoulder and… anyway.

You even arrived when invited to hang out after class.

Why the heck had you started to act so oddly though? To his brother even? The two of you had always got along so well, from the moment you met. It was enough to make him a little uncomfortable, after all humans were unpredictable and dangerous. You especially with your weird soul. It was even weirder that yours had been flickering to bravery as you ran away. If he thought about it, that was the one color he’d never seen your soul sport before.

The look in your eyes when you spotted his brother was all-consuming fear. What had happened that he didn’t know about? You hadn’t batted an eye when he mentioned hanging out with everyone earlier, and you had to know Sans would be there.

Fuck.

Somehow you managed to evade him, evade them all, longer than you expected. Neither the monsters who searched for you and feared for your safety, or you who hid in the frustrated terror generated by your now-often nightmares could figure it out. You should’ve been found, but in the span of 3 months you managed to stay off radar and even graduate (thanks to the professors who posted lectures online).

The problem for you now, was that you had no idea what to do with your newfound bachelor’s degree in… what was it again? You had to check the diploma every time. How in the heck were you able to graduate like this? It all felt so… pointless and bizarre. The moment you had started avoiding your friends your life had begun to feel so... like the colors were slowly draining away from the world. Sure, you managed to keep your health up for the most part (and lost a lot of weight in the process, worryingly so) but it kinda didn’t matter when you were just floating along.

The one thing that kept you grounded enough to go day to day was that little white upside down floating heart you saw in your dreams. Sure, you couldn’t directly communicate with it, and you were pretty sure at this point it was a coping mechanism for loneliness or something, but still. You had even figured out that if you were daydreaming you could access your little floating friend. When things got too lonesome or stressful, all you had to do was blank your mind out and you could see it in your mind’s eye.

Alright, your imaginary buddy was great for most things, but sometimes you needed a little more conversation than vague reactionary emotions. For those times, you dropped by Happstablook’s place. It was weird, with all the avoiding you’d done, you had ended up at Happy’s place one night after some drunken hijinks with a classmate you’d been doing a group project with. Without your mind in the ‘right place’ you had stumbled up to his door and just waltzed in. He didn’t even seem all that troubled when he cared for you through your hangover the next day, simply content to see you alive and share the projects he’d worked on since you were away.

Your ghosty friend didn’t even rat you out to the others. Such a good friend.

Needless to say, since you didn’t want to be a burden still, you mostly tried not to go there too often. It was usually a good day when you did though, and he seemed to get a little more confidence with you around. It was good, you felt helpful, and you could even get some stories about how the others were if you played your cards right.

Seriously you didn’t need to bother them with your weird and confusing problems. You might miss them more than you thought though. You also might have realized that it was a dick move to just vanish with no word. You might also know that if you sent word now it would probably be taken wrong.

Fuck.

The worst part was that while you had been getting the hang of the nightmares, you still experienced them almost as often as you experienced the white heart. Everytime, you were attacked to a song that was honestly quite catchy - you even found yourself humming along to it once while over at Happy’s and he asked about it. It freaked you out a little bit. You were getting good at dodging to the tune, and could even do so while singing along with your attacker. You had the feeling you were still missing something, but you could almost go the whole rotation without too many repeats.

Was it a good thing? You had no idea. It still made you wonder why the skeleton had to look so much like Sans though. Looked like him, voices pretty similar though the singer’s was a tad deeper, and used close to the same color magic. God you wished it was as easy as asking, but you were sure you’d have your ass handed to you by either of them. “Why do I dream of someone who looks like you murdering me every other night?” Yeah. That question wasn’t going to fly. God, it would probably make your buddy cry and then his protective older brother would definitely put the hurtin’ on you.

Aside from all that, life was pretty… okay. You didn’t have anywhere to sleep anymore since you graduated and you had to make do with washing yourself with a wet rag in park bathrooms. You still had the soap you’d bought in the beginning because you were smart and bought a liquid soap that didn’t need much for a big effect. One small boon at least, but even that was getting low. It was after one such fresh-feeling morning that you rested your back against a wrecked alleyway wall behind a building in a little used area of town. Relaxing you listened for a while, making sure that the area was as empty as it had seemed.

You felt safe enough that you figured this would be your next nap location, and since you were a little stressed it was as good a time as any to… play with your imagination. A small smirk crossed your lips as you focused on the upside down floating heart. You had enough practice that entering the proper daydreaming state was almost like muscle memory. Gently, you brought it closer with your inner hands, knowing that you didn’t need to even use your real body, though you had been reacting in tandem with this kind of play for a little while now. Hee hee.

Softly, your inner self caressed the white surface. The heart had always seemed to appreciate a small warm up period, though times like right now, the response was a jab of frustration.

Papyrus had been walking to Muffet’s from his part-time job in the park selling scones when he felt the tell-tale sign of another ‘soul attack’. Great. Letting out a grunt of frustration, he changed directions in a hurry - mind racing to figure out where he could go to ride this one out. Sans would be home, and he knew he wouldn’t have the time or patience to explain why he needed to have time alone in his room right now. Not that he could afford to make some of the noises that escaped him the last couple times these attacks went on. They had been rather aggressive the last couple times, and while he appreciated that they were still careful, he couldn’t help the reactions his body made at times. It was annoying as much as it was a little... delicious.

Hurrying along the sidewalk, he almost missed the sound of a familiar giggle and sigh nearby. Almost. Halting, he looked around. He could’ve sworn… he didn’t have time for this. He needed to find a place of seclusion, now!

You were a little sad that the heart didn’t seem up for fooling around, but you weren’t one to push someone. Even if they were imaginary. So instead, you mentally ranted about some of the things that were bothering you, until the point where you saw the heart come a little closer, shaking like it was warming up to your previous advances. You smiled and let out a soft giggle, pulling it close with a little kiss to it’s smooth almost gel surface. You don’t know why it never occurred to you that something that looked like a hard solid stone would actually be a more like a membrane, but somehow it was. In awe, you slowly stroke your lips over the curves and angles, indulging in the sensations that made it to even your real life lips. You murmured how smooth and fun and weird it felt to the heart, it shivered in response.

The change in texture surprised the hoodie clad skeleton into a full halt. It never felt like this before, it was… softer yet more intense? Whatever changed, the feeling was much better. He couldn’t help but shudder as suddenly he felt like someone whispered sweet nothings into his ear, despite not being able to hear them… and yet. He could’ve sworn he did hear someone. Someone familiar - it was on the tip of his thoughts… and there it went with another stroke of whatever that great sensation was. Still, he feet followed the voice as his mind gave in for a moment.

Suddenly, it hit him and even the velvety soft strokes that caressed his soul wasn’t enough to sway his focus. IT WAS YOU. You were here, somewhere! You were here and you were saying something the same way they were… YOU WERE TOUCHING HIS DAMN SOUL. Your soft giggles bubbled out again and there you were, sitting behind the very brick wall that he had been leaning against. You were sitting there… just sitting there. Nothing in your hands, your eyes weren’t even open. Were you asleep? No, you were talking about how his soul felt like gel? Sweetly giggling and… he could still feel it. You were definitely doing something, but how? Shit, it still felt really good. Did you even know? You had to know, right? Ugh, now was not the time for this, not when he finally found you and… how was he even going to get you stick around them? How would he get you to stay in his sights? How was he ever going to stop being distracted with you messing with his damn soul? Maybe… maybe his first response was the right one. He’d ride it out, then when he was in a better mind-set he could confront you and then… you guys would go from there. Yes, solid plan Papyrus, good job. Now where to… ah, no one looks at rooftops!

Papyrus teleported to the roof making sure no one could see him from any angle, feeling a spike of exhilaration at the public setting, set himself free to enjoy this last ‘attack’.

You were a little confused at the set of emotions your companion passed along, though you were pretty sure they weren’t intentionally at you. It kinda seemed that having such a sensitive part of your body on it made your reception stronger or something along those lines. You pulled away a little, wanting to be sure your buddy was happy. After a couple more moments the heart zoomed back to your open hands seeming more excited than you’d ever known it. Well, if it was that ready then making it wait would just be rude. With a devious smile, you curiously touched the tip of your tongue to the surface and was surprised when it was slightly sweet and salty.

You could’ve sworn you heard something nearby but it wasn’t loud or near enough to bother you, so you just focused harder, licking the heart more and savoring the flavor. Still, it was a little weird that you were able to taste a dream. It couldn’t be normal. Well, what part of you was? With one last swipe of your tongue, you could’ve sworn you felt a small jolt of a caress in return. It was all across your senses and zipped across you like a sensual pulse of electricity. Shivering, you looked back at the heart, surprised and excited.

Fingers tracing those little designs across the surface, you gently placed kisses atop the surface, groaning softly as the waves of sensation were returned with little white surges from your daily companion. You were surprisingly sensitive to such stimulation and it wasn’t long before you realized you were making way too much noise to not be noticed for long. So, maybe being in an alleyway and doing the equivalent to touching yourself wasn’t your best idea in a while, but you knew when you had to stop. So, you did. Or at least you thought you did. The sensations continued as the heart began to rub itself on your inner self, the weird thick liquid sticking to you and the heat could be felt by your real body as it drizzled down your form.

Clamping hands over your mouth, you let out a shuddering moan. Okay, you were sure you’d never felt something like this before. Man, you wish you were somewhere else so you could just enjoy without fear of someone discovering you in such a vulnerable state. You could feel the heat down to your core, and you knew you wouldn’t last long at this point. With your mind half awake, and half in the dream, you found yourself constantly looking around as if someone was going to enter the alley at any moment. Nerves jolting as your fear heightened your senses, making each additional electric pulse more intense. Your inner muscles were moving, your whole body reacting to whatever this little devil of a heart was doing, and god you really liked it. It was getting harder to think of anything else, senses shorting out when you finally released with a loud yell. Body shaking and muscles spasming as the incomparable bliss washed over you, the white heart covering you in the stuff as it gushed. Thankfully that part was all in your mind or you would have to wash again… or wait, the liquid that rushed out of you was enough to warrant that. Your mind was still too happy at the experience to recognize the shadow approaching you from the only entrance to the alleyway.

Your body was shaking and numb, but you still jumped when you realized who was standing in front of you with his damn orange hoodie and an almost sadistic smirk across his face. Or tried to anyway. Your body moved, but your muscles were too limp to hold you. Fuck.


	8. Memories and Awkwardness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The running is over! It's time to work things out.
> 
> (I hope everyone is staying determined in this time, I'm rooting for you! Also, it's my birthday :P)

“I give you props for evading me this long, but I think this little game of hide n’ seek is over.” His devilish smile worried you. Trying to at least sit up straight, you looked away from him and missed that his own legs were a little unsteady.

“S-sorry Papyrus.” That wasn’t the response he was expecting, but he’d take it.

“Which part are you apologizing for?” The tall skeleton walked close, gently reaching your chin and forced you to look him in the eye. His eyelights wavered only a moment.

“I… eh. I didn’t mean to worry you guys.” Your body was shaking again, this time from fear of what would happen next, but you had to face it cause there was no way your body was up to a sudden jog across town. You could barely sit straight against the wall, damnit if only you hadn’t played so hard with the heart. Okay, you only regretted it a little.

“‘S that all?”

“And for freaking out cause your brother looks like a guy in a nightmare of mine.” Papyrus seemed surprised at this, but his hold on your chin was firm as his other hand gently stroked your cheek. Oh boy, you were still too sensitive for this. It was a bit surprising to both of you when you leaned into the gentle touches.

“And that I didn’t at least message you guys so we could fix the problem right away.” That’s honestly the one that bothered you the most, but it was hard to be properly apologetic when he was touching you so tenderly in your afterglow. The small sigh that escaped his bony jaw was all he said before crouching and scooping into his arms.

“Welp, if that’s all you’ve done wrong then I guess we better start fixin’ things so you can get some rest. You look like you’re about to drop, heh, no offense.” Surprised at the lack of anger and turn of events, you looped your arms around his neck as he blipped into his own room.

“Sans is home.” He whispered, setting you gently on his rumpled sheets. “Why don’t we start there. Was this the same nightmare I woke you from last time?”

You nodded, looking away as you nervously shifted into a cross-legged position. “I didn’t want to worry you guys so I tried to just… get over it. Obviously it didn’t work out like I wanted. Or go away. I still have them far too often. I’m sorry.” It was really hard to say, but he was taking it rather well.

“Ya already said your sorries. Let’s just get this fixed, kay? Everyone really misses you, my brother especially.” You could’ve sworn there was more to that sentence, but he looked expectantly to you.

“I uh… don’t know what to do.”

“Why don’t you start with explaining the dream? I’m told that sharing with someone helps with coping. Not sure since I haven’t tried it yet.”

“You have nightmares too?”

“... let’s just focus on you for now. We can talk about that later.”

“Ah, okay. Uhm… well. It’s really kinda surreal. A skeleton that looks like Sans and a couple kids are singing about killing each other and while they attack me. I uh… usually feel it if they ki… er hit me after I wake up. Oh and like the whole song/dodge thing repeats whenever I.. fail.” God, so awkward. You bit your lip a little awaiting his reaction. His staring expression beginning to shake wasn’t what you expected.

“T-two kids and a… skeleton? Wha… what did the… did one of the kids have a creepy, almost dripping smile?”

Your eyes opened wide. “Yeah… how did you know?”

He was suddenly closed off, arms folding as his eye lights dimmed.

“They’re in your nightmares too then. Uh, I… mmh. Shit.” You wanted everything solved, but this was toeing a line into something he was obviously not ready to deal with. Reaching out, you put a hand on his upper arm feeling the thick bone under the fabric. “Papyrus, we don’t have to talk about it. I’m sure there’s another way to deal with this. Now that you know, maybe you could help me find something more tolerable I could do? … oh I could always talk to a bartender or something. They’re called the poor man’s therapist for a reason.” You attempt to smile at him, but it’s difficult with how shaken the both of you are. You can tell that he was grateful for the consideration at least as his focus resumed on you once more. His bony fingers wrapping around your hand on his arm.

He breathed deeply. “Nah, let’s just get this over with. Can’t trust this shit with some bartender, ‘s too raw. ‘Cides maybe you can understand since you have somethin weird going on with you too.”

Your smile solidified. “Yeah, if it’s weird I would be the right person to understand. I think I might’ve been born weird.”

A weak laugh trickled from the male, “Yeah, alright. Hmm… how do I? Er... so, down in the underground we were trapped for what feels like forever. At some point I found myself repeating the same few days over and over again…”

“Wait, are you saying it actually happened or it was a dream?”

He gently pulled your hand off his arm and held it with both hands, “It doesn’t matter does it?”

You think a moment and shake your head. “I suppose not. Might make context a little clearer, but go ahead… sorry for interrupting.”

With a deep sigh he continued, “Okay so things were repeating and it was cause this kid came down and they had a power that bent timelines and… I know you don’t know science so I’ll spare you the headache. Basically they were able to change time to their will, so no matter what if there was a chance for them to get their way, they did. Back in those days, our queen was looking for the last human soul we needed to break the barrier and everyone was suppose ‘ta bring that soul if they saw one. They all did their best, but thanks to that power the kid was able to fix it anytime they uh…”

“Killed them?”

He nodded, his eyes not meeting yours again. “Go on.”

“Anyway, they eventually got to the barrier and figured out how to release us without dying. Which was really cool of them and all considering but… at some point they did what I call a reset. Everything started over from that one day again, and like I said, everything happened over again. Same things no matter what. The worst part was that I seemed to be the only one to remember it. Well, me and this one asshole that I’m not gonna get into. But it was cool, the kid made friends with everyone a few times… until it stopped being cool. It turned downright fucked up. Little fucker must’a gotten bored or something cause one time he was covered in dust when I saw him, and proceeded to go on a fucking murder spree. The worst part was, since my bro and I lived near the kid’s starting point, we were always the first of us boss monsters to be targeted. Oh my fucking hell, things were seriously terrible after that. After the first genocide run as I ended up calling ‘em, they did it again and again and… you get the picture. It was maddening. Okay, correction; the real worst part was the few times the kid decided to spare us and set everyone free, only to reset and do another genocide.” As he had related his story to you, tracks of orange tears spilled down his face, the grip on your hand tightening until you couldn’t feel it any longer. His shaking form was letting off waves of sorrow and rage; you still weren’t sure if he was talking about some tragic magic memory or a dream.

You knew dreams could feel real, but the way he acted, it seriously sounded like he was a veteran trying to relay his wartime trauma at the request of a loved one doing a history report.

If he had lived through that, he was definitely stronger than you could know. That was like the definition of insanity and he still cared so much, even enough to chase your silly ass down. He cared even more for his brother to the point where he smothered him a little bit, but given the situation you understood quite a bit better.

Unable to take his silent tears any longer, you put an arm around his shoulders and gently pet his skull. He froze momentarily before burying his face in your chest. The two of you spend some time bathed in the quiet comfort of each other, thinking through your respective nightmares.

A loud clunk from downstairs brought you both back around. Papyrus wrapped his arms around your torso and further buried his face, a soft orange glow illuminating from where it was. You held back a giggle and rested your cheek against his head. Today was super awkward but maybe it wasn't so bad.

“PAPY, I MADE LUNCH CAUSE I HEARD YOU… HUMAN! YOU HAVE RETURNED TO US!”

Shit, shit, shit. 

Papyrus jumped up and between you and his overenthusiastic brother, knowing full well that you weren't ready to confront him yet, not if your soul flashes meant anything like it did last time.

“Bro, our friend isn't feeling good… did you make enough lunch for her?” It was only then that Papyrus put any thought to how much you were starting to look like a skeleton yourself.

Sans’ eyes went wide then sent a small glare at his brother. “NO, BUT THAT’S ONLY BECAUSE A CERTAIN SKELETON DIDN’T THINK TO INFORM ME THAT WE HAD A GUEST.” You could see his face as he peeked around his brother's hoodie. “I MISSED YOU Y/N, I’M GLAD YOU CAME BACK. I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU LEFT BUT I PROMISE I’LL WORK ON WHATEVER IT WAS SO YOU CAN STAY WITH US AGAIN!” Behind his cheerful tone you could hear the sorrow but you weren't ready yet.

You shook visibly but sent a thin smile his way. The touch of hurt in his eyes made you wince but it couldn't be helped. Sans left to make you some lunch but you didn't know if you'd be able to eat anything.

The careful touch to your shoulder ignited your tears. “I hate that I'm so scared. I know he never hurt me or anyone but…” Papyrus breathed out a deep sigh. “Yeah, it was pretty hard for me to face Chara after we finally all settled on the surface for good. It just takes time and effort. My bro is patient but he deserves to know, cause all this is hurting him too.”

You nod as you press your face into your hands. Sniffling, you murmur, “He's too good for all this. I could see him trying to protect me from his own emotions.”

“Heh, my bro is the best. Which is why I have to ask you to tell him yourself tonight. I know it's too soon but… between him and you, I'll always choose him. We’ll give you space after just… like you said, he’s too good for all this. I also need you to make sure you don’t say a damn thing about my nightmare, got it?” His voice was gentle, but when he began his demand his whole demeanor hardened even if only for a moment.

“I got it Pap. I didn’t expect any different.” Though I thought we were getting close enough you wouldn’t feel the need to threaten me, you thought. 

“There’s one more thing. You said you didn’t know about Souls right?” You nodded. “You still don’t?”

“Who would I have asked about it? I was running away from you guys, terrified.” Somehow you laugh. “Why do you ask?”

“Have you had access to something that looks like a cartoon heart, maybe white and upside down?”

You were a little shocked. “Oh, the other dream. HOW DID YOU KNOW?!” Okay, maybe more than a little shocked.

He stared at you a moment, stunned. “No, no, no. It was definitely not a dream... you had to be manipulating it somehow.”

“Well, I am rather good at daydreaming. What’s going on?” Looks like your body was tired of all the emotional rollercoaster, looks like it’s back to a mellow mood.

The shift in your tension draws Papyrus to stare at you further. He noted that your heart was a much more muted color, was it because you had starved yourself? Couldn’t be, it was very vibrant not too long ago. Of course that was when they… she couldn’t know that she had that kind of power over him, it put him in a place of vulnerability that he wasn’t prepared to handle, but her being able to affect a soul like that without knowing what she was doing was probably the most dangerous thing he could think of. How to inform her and get all the info he needed without painting a target… aha! The old scapegoat technique. And he even had an easy target who would probably be cool with the fib.

“Well from the sounds of it, you seem to have access to a friend of mine’s soul. Actually, he sounds like the guy you’ve been dreaming about from the nightmare. He’s been texting me to see if I could help him track the perpetrator down, who knew I was housing them at some point.” Suddenly Papyrus sent one of his famous old winks your way and you knew that he was starting to feel better. Probably since you were moving further from his own problems. For being a guy who got in everyone’s business he sure had issues when it came to the other way around. Wait… what did he say?

“I-I what? Oh gosh.” Welp, nevermind mellow mode, now you were just straight up a guilt-ridden pile of embarrassment. “Oh no, I didn’t hurt him did I? I hear those soul things are really delicate.”

Your sudden panic made him chuckle, “No, he’s fine. It’s just he’s been having a heck of a time with being in crowded places lately for some reason.”

Your face was on fire. “Nooooooooo.”

“What’s wrong pal? You were the one in the driver’s seat right? I’m sure you were being careful, he would’ve mentioned getting hurt if it had happened.”

“PAPYRUS I NEED TO MEET THIS PERSON!”

“Heh heh…. What?”

“I NEED TO APOLOGIZE!” You were crying now. Papyrus was suddenly getting nervous about this plan. “PLEASE PAP!”

Shit, shit, shit. “W-well that’d be kinda tricky to do since he doesn’t live around here.”

“No, no. You don’t understand! Maybe if I can confront him about my nightmares I’ll be able to get over it faster and not have to shoot Sans in his poor sweet emotions. And while I’m there I can apologize my butt off and find someway to get him to forgive me… yeah. Please, please, please, Papyroo…”

“Wha’th’fuck?” His cheeks burned at the sudden nickname. Oh god, he might be projecting but he was right. The way you described the other skeleton did sound a lot like that other Sans… shit. Maybe there was still some way to save this. “Ehh, please just calm down, let’s eat lunch and think about this objectively.”

“Pap. I’m not gonna be able to eat until this is settled. Now that I know I’ve been taking advantage of some poor skeleton I don’t even know, how can I live with myself?”

“Well how were you doing it before?”

“I thought it was just an imaginary friend… er something. But it’s not! It’s all been a lie!”

Welp, he wasn’t getting any less boned at the moment, heh. May as well dig his grave a little further. “Fine. Just… let me text him and see if he’s even up to deal with this right now.” Please other Sans, please just be busy…

Papyrus sent an interuniversal text(™) to classic Sans, briefly explaining that a strange human had the ability to access his soul, and had, and wanted to come by and apologize for it. Also, they may have been having nightmares about his resets they’ll want to talk about.

Talk about resets will definitely make that one not want to see… welp nevermind. Looks like he wasn’t the only one who felt like spilling the beans today. Great.

“He says he’ll need an hour.”

You didn’t notice the flat tone the tall skeleton had used, you were too busy trying to think of a way to turn down your Sans’ food without upsetting him further. Being the mood-reader that he was, the frustrated male grabbed your arm. “C’mon, you’re gonna eat something whether you like it or not. You’re lookin too much like us and not enough like you.”

Shoving you down the stairs into the presence of a hovering Sans, the two of you ate - albeit slowly - as the hour counted down.


	9. Nothing Like Teasing a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet Classic Sans and have an important conversation.
> 
> (I have no sense of consistency, so you guys are getting another chapter.)

After waving goodbye to your sweet short skelefriend, his tall brother put his arms around your waist. “Alright, this is going to feel weird so keep your eyes closed and whatever you do, hold on tight.”

You nodded and clutched to the orange hoodie that covered the elder brother. The moment your eyes shut, the feeling of your stomach lurching into your chest almost overwhelmed you. Static ran across your skin, and the air itself felt simultaneously stagnant and like it was rushing past you so fast it ripped at your flesh in the same instant. Your hands clenched tighter, though you could no longer feel the connection between you or Papyrus… or anything else to be honest. Time seemed to drag on, the silence made you want to scream and just before you could, everything suddenly snapped into normality and you realized… that had only taken less than 3 heartbeats.

Overwhelmed, your legs gave out and almost yanked Papyrus down with you, your death-grip on his jacket being the only thing keeping you upright for the moment until that startled skeleton supported you. Once again, you were impressed by him, but there were other things to worry about right now.

Speaking of, the door behind your tall friend slowly and ominously swung open with a loud creak. The white pips of light met your gaze and you were glad for Papyrus’ support because your newly regained stability crumbled.

It really was him.

That blue hoodie, those black shorts, the pink fuzzy bunny slippers… how absurd was it that someone who wore fucking bunny slippers was so terrifying? And yet, here you were. Eyes wide, skin at it’s palest, and fingers clutching at Pap’s jacket so hard that you could hear small noises like tearing.

“ya alright kid? you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” That deep voice was the exact same as the dream, though the malice and killing intent were missing.

“h-hey, y/n it’s ok. my pal here isn’t going to hurt you. just calm down.” Large bony hands force you to look the taller skeleton in the eye sockets, allowing your mind to loosen its grip on your fear. “c’mon just relax.”

You take a few deep breaths and your muscles loosen painfully. You look at the small holes you now have marked the orange hoodie with and pout a little. “Sorry Papyrus.” Turning back to the other skeleton who had walked closer as you were distracted and seemed to examine you, you cleared your throat. “I-I’m sorry about the awkward introduction, eh, things are a little let’s say… fucked with me right now.”

Your choice in wording makes the new skeleton eye you a little differently but he shrugs, his eyes dipping to soul level. “Well, ‘s interesting an’ all but maybe we should take this party inside. Don’t want the neighbors prying about the new guests in town… we’d never get a moment’s peace. Heh.”

You nod in response and the three of you make your way into the house, into an oddly familiar living room. Taking everything in objectively, you still feel yourself tremble as you stand near the two monster males. “So, uhm. My name is y/n and I have been dreaming about you almost nightly.” You held out your hand.

“Sans the skeleton, and you could say that makes me the monster of your dreams?” The unintentionally intimidating male quipped, reaching out to shake your hand.

The corners of your mouth twitched up as you opened your mouth to respond only to be interrupted by the loud sound of farting from your joined hands. You quickly switch from shocked silence to hysterical laughter. Your previous nervousness isn’t completely removed, but the joy that comes from a good laugh goes a long way to smooth things over. Your laughter seemed to have pleased both skeletons as their chuckles joined your laughter.

“Ah, I needed that, thanks. Uhm, so your name is Sans too?”

“Yup.”

“This is going to get confusing isn’t it?”

“Probably.”

“We usually call this guy ‘Classic Sans’.” Papyrus chimes in, walking towards the archway to what you assume is the kitchen. “Grabbin’ drinks, you guys want anything?”

“Why classic? Also, yes but maybe just water.” You perch your rear on the nearby couch, only half-sitting.

Classic Sans flops into the couch into a groove that perfectly matches up with his body. “Obviously because I’m so classy, heh. N’ just grab my usual Pap. I foresee needing a stiff drink with this convo.”

You raise your eyebrow at him getting drunk just to talk to you, but you weren’t sure what Papyrus had said about your dreams. You shrug as Sans eyes you again. “Yeah, this is going to be a trip through awkward park, so let me begin by saying how incredibly sorry I am about dreaming about you without permission and molesting you.”

“This sounds incredibly private, so I think I’m just gonna go hide in your room, kay? Kay.” Papyrus tosses a glass bottle of ketchup towards the reclining skeleton before dashing up a nearby set of stairs, his skull burning a bright glowing orange. Strange.

You would make more note of the odd behavior if the barely withheld laughter in that deep voice didn’t distract you so much. “So, does molesting me (heh) bother you more than the other dream?”

“Yes! I would never uhm… someone else without their permission. I’m also pretty good at doing the lucid dreaming thing, or at least I think that’s what it’s called when you control things there...” Your face burns as you speak, instinctively you hide your face behind your hair.

The chuckles dry up and the white points of light seem to consider you before their owner responds. “Eh, don’t worry about it kid, s’all good.”

You blink. That was pretty damn nonchalant for having access to his soul for so long. Suspicious. “That’s really can’t be all you have to say about it…”

“Hmm… well, no. But I think this topic might be a skele-ton more fun to go over after we handle the real business.” He smirks your way, but it feels half-hearted. He must be dreading it as much as you are.

You sigh, nod, and turn to face him completely. Clearing your throat, you figured the best way to get the message across was to just sing the 3 songs, and so you do. You have never really been a singer per se. You generally sing with a lot of passion and enjoyment, and that’s what your friends have said they enjoyed hearing from you. These songs… you just can’t be passionate about. It gets the point across though.

As you power through the uncomfortable material, his casual smile fades into a grimace. The lights of his eyes seem to pulse with the rhythm of the song and you feel a sort of connection between the two of you. Through the connection, you and he both are able to see the completed accompaniment of your dodging and the attack patterns of the three (you imagine he probably was odded out by attacking himself) through the last of the music. Your wavering tone drops the last note and the air seems to clear and everything is back to as it was.

He clears his throat. “That, ahem, was weird.”

“As fuck.” You agree.

Silence flows for a moment while the two of you collect yourselves.

“So, uhm, Sans… what is all that about?”

He sighs. “Well, that pretty much sums up the jist of being trapped down here.”

“Down here where?”

“Oh stars, he hasn’t even told you that you’re in a different universe did he?”

“Are you ser- ...nope.”

Facepalming, Classic Sans lets out a deep sigh as if collecting patience. “The place that you and I are in right now, is like a mirror of the world you are from, and it is not your world. Do you understand this?”

“Yes Professor Sans.”

He smiles a little at your response, “Good. Now I assume the monsters of your world have reached the surface?” You nod. “Well currently in our world, we are still stuck in the Underground. Still with me?”

You nod but tilt your head to the side, “Wait, does this have anything to do with resets?”

The look of relief overtakes Sans’ grimace. “Oh thank stars he already talked to you about that. So, wait… why did you need to meet me then? I mean, okay I guess since I was the one with you in that weirdo song thing.”

Your nodding skill levels up. “I’ve been having that whole scenario in my sleep for the past… eh, 3-ish months I think? It’s made it really difficult to get a good night's sleep, and I kinda have been having a hard time even looking at my universe’s Sans.” You flush in shame as you look away. “It’s also why I reacted so hard even when I knew we were meeting. Kinda hard to not react when well… you know.”

It’s the thick skeleton’s turn to nod. “I get’cha. So you thought talking it out might help. Well, has it?”

“I feel a lot better so far. I mean, I still feel like there’s something important that I’m.. or we’re missing in all this. Still, I don’t want to piss myself at the sight of you like earlier.” You smile up at the skeleton who lets out a startled laugh.

“Well, I’m glad I don’t have to be the big bad skeleton in your nightmares anymore. Now, the tough stuff is out of the way, care to… talk about the other thing?” His smile slips into a predatory smirk. Something pricks in your mind about it being familiar but you shake it off.

“I… uh… I’m still sorry I didn’t get your permission.”

“Well, you have been sweet to me so far, I’m happy that it’s a sweetheart like you who got it. I mean, anyone else might’ve done something far worse - seeing that to a monster, their soul is the single most important part of us. Humans have ‘em too but with all the extra flesh, it’s a lot more protected.”

Your eyes widen. “W-what do you mean?”

“It is literally our life, our memories… the literal culmination of our being. Our source of magic. All of that. So, eh, please always handle with care. That being said, I’ve been enjoying our little, heh, game of telephone. I see no need to go and stop it or nothin’.” The devilish wink the stocky skeleton sends your way sets your face ablaze.

“I-if you’re alright with it, I have enjoyed the experience too. Uhm, did you want to…”

He blinks in surprise and you hardly believe it but his smile widens even further. “You sure you’d want to with your chaperone here?”

Your blush spreads to the tips of your ears, you had almost forgotten Papyrus was even there! How can a dangerously smiling, deep-voiced male make you forget something like that? Oh look at that, even the one provoking your wanton woman’s heart had a little cyan blush dusting over his skull. “Maybe we should just trade numbers for now, if you have a monster phone that is. They work even over universes somehow. Maybe then I can hit you up when we’re not busy?” You nod and pull out your phone, shaking as you trade numbers. Grabbing your water you sip while you think about what a dirty person you are.

Just enough time passes that said chaperone walks down the stairs. “Are you guys done yet?”

Sans lets out a small huff as his face returns to normal. “Yea, I suppose.”

“What in the world does that even mean?” Papyrus raises a brow bone.

“Heh, you’ll know soon enough.” The smirk that only the tall skeleton can see fills him with a deep sense that things have not played out in his favor.


	10. Slumber Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get your relationships back on track!
> 
> (I'm so sorry, this chapter kinda feels like a filler.)

As you return to your own world/universe/skeletal living room safely wrapped in orange sleeves, you can’t help but blush a little. Between the flirty way you and the other Sans had spoken and the care that your Papyrus made sure you made it safely home, you honestly felt really...safe.

And holy shit, you were sure you’d never had someone hit on you like that before. He was hitting on you, right? Like, ‘oh yeah, go ahead and touch my most private of regions’ is kinda flirty right? Okay, okay, maybe you were just excited to have started solving things with the stranger you were oddly connected with but, wow. Such a rush.

Papyrus was oddly silent, holding you longer than necessary. You sensed that it was more for him than you, so you played along and let him hold you as long as he needed. The guy had been so very patient with you, considering all the weirdness surrounding your - well you.

“PAPY? IS EVERYTHING OKAY?” The normal voice of your world’s Sans was laced with worry, at a much lower volume than usual though it still carried through the area.

Papyrus snapped out of his trance, first looking you in the eyes before almost flinching away from you, turning to his brother with a slight orange to his cheeks. “y-yeah bro. or at least I think?” You see his head turn towards you a touch, but not enough to meet your eyes. Slowly you lower your vision to his brother, tensing slightly just in case… but relax just as quickly when seeing the slightly shorter Sans and there's no fear.  
“Yeah, everything is much better now.” You offer, sending a soft smile to the blue-clad skeleton who tears up in obvious relief. “Sorry for… well, all of this.” You rub the back of your neck as you are tackled to the carpeted floor by the bundle of tears.

“IWASSOWORRIEDANDWEHAVEN’TSEENYOUINFOREVER.PAPYRUSCOULDN’TEVENFINDYOUANDYOUWERENTANSWERINGYOURPHONEHOWCANIBEYOURCOUSINWHENYOUDON’TLETMEHUGYOUI’MSOGLADYOU’REBACKANDHOMEANDSAFEAnd… you don’t hate me anymore.” The gut-wrenching wail sent a shiv of guilt into your chest as you gently rubbed his back.

“Everything’s gonna be okay now Sans, I promise… and I never hated you. I was just so-so stupidly scared.”

“SCARED? ...OF ME?”

You sit up a little as he loosens his grip and shifts off you, “Not OF you but… I had a nightmare and you kinda…”

“she was dreaming about classic, bro.” Papyrus supplies, pulling his sniffling brother onto the couch next to where he was currently resting.

“WAIT, IS THAT WHERE YOU TWO WENT IN SUCH A HURRY?” Sans sniffs the last little bit as he rubs his eyes.

“yup. had to get all the kinks worked out, amirite?” Papyrus finally looked at you, teasing grin tinged with… something.

Still, your natural reaction was to flush at the insinuation. “Sshhhhh… you know what? I’m feeling good right now and you don’t need to be teasing me. Sans, would you care to nap with me?”

“I AM ACTUALLY RATHER TIRED NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT.”

“wait, no, you can’t.”

You raise an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure that emotional rollercoaster entitles me to some sleep, and obviously you’re in some kind of mood. Sans doesn’t mind sharing his bed, er, do you buddy?”

“NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST! AFTER ALL, IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT FRIENDS ENJOY SLEEP PARTIES ALL THE TIME. I AM THE BEST OF FRIENDS, SO I AM THE BEST AT THESE SLUMBERS.” The short skeleton’s bravado returned in a flash, though still a bit subdued. It seems that outburst really took the energy out of him.  
“Well then, shall we?” You ask, holding your arm out to the starry-eyed brother.

“LETS!” He chirps, slipping his arm through yours and pulling you tight to his side as he leads you to his room.

“wait, guys stop. no, seriously. that’s really inappropriate! you can’t just sleep in an adult’s room like that!” Papyrus stood, face marbled with orange as his eye lights followed your progress; ignoring him you disappeared into the brightly marked room. With a groan, he lets himself drop face-first into the couch.

Giggling, you strip your jacket and shoes off, setting it neatly in the corner of the room and stretch as Sans fiddles with his fingers, watching you. “Something wrong?”

“NOT REALLY, HOWEVER… COULD YOU PLEASE TURN AROUND SO I CAN CHANGE?”

A reasonable request, so you nod and face the corner as if in a time out. You can hear cloth rustle, and small grumbles as you wait. Staring at the wall, you wonder why Papyrus had been so hesitant about letting you sleep in the same bed as his brother. He knew his brother was a stickler for rules, control, and propriety; It really shouldn’t be that big a deal. Unless he thought you would molest his sweet younger bro- oh goodness, he totally thought that. Of course, you weren’t just gonna randomly molest Sans, well, not this Sans anyway…

As your mind turned to the other skeleton, and dirtier thoughts, the higher-toned Sans cleared his throat. “YOU MAY COMMENCE THE FRIENDSHIP SLUMBER.”

Oh right. Not a time to think of that stuff. Turning around, you couldn’t help but smile at the whimsy your friend displayed in his choice of pajamas. High-quality pale blue silk, woven with patterns like falling rocket ships and stars. Like clothes for a little kid, but in the quality of a posh rich person of taste. He was already on the bed, back resting against the headboard as he held a worn children’s book.

You crawled under the covers beside him, he cleared his throat. “I’M NOT AS GOOD AS PAPY AT THE VOICES, BUT SINCE YOU’RE THE GUEST IT IS MY JOB TO PROVIDE THE BEDTIME STORY.” You giggle a little but know he’s being fully sincere as you’d heard the story on your previous visit, read with love every night by the elder skeleton. Wiggling down into the sheets further, you looked up into those bright blue eye lights as he waited for you to settle, then turned to read.

It was sweet really, and it wasn’t so much the story that began lulling you into a drowsy state, it was more the way he softened his voice to read the lines, and even got a little teary near the end. Barely controlling his own yawns, he finishes the story and reaches over you to place the book on the nightstand. It was then that you got a good look at your small friend’s ribs, a misplaced button allowing the view as he stretched over you. You could’ve sworn you saw a glance of a white glow from behind the silk, but you averted your eyes. Studying bones up close was interesting, but you knew the implications behind seeing a soul and… yeah. This was your cute little almost cousin we’re talking about here.

To your amusement, he tucked you in slipping into his own side and messily tucking himself as well. “Good night y/n.”

“Good night Sans.”

Tonight’s dream found you wandering back into the non-descript room. Smiling, you wondered if it was a good idea to diddle your friend while sharing a room. I mean sure, it was a full-on dream, but you didn’t know if your sleeping body would still sport the usual… reactions. So, deciding to err on the side of caution, you turn to your white buddy for a nice chat when you realize… there’s two of them now. Whaaaaaat.

Immediately, you are able to recognize the soul you’re familiar with despite the two looking like exact copies floating next to each other. Hm.

You approach heart #2, gently placing your hand near it. You knew that you wouldn’t really get a reaction from it until you initiated some action so you figured, maybe just approaching was a good start? Sans said to handle with care, and you took that thought to heart, er soul - whatever.

“So, hello new buddy. Who’re you?” You didn’t expect a direct reply, but the heart - er soul - projected an aura of surprise. You expected this, so you were patient, seeing if it would do anything else. As you waited, you placed your hand next to Sans’ soul and smiled at its usual reaction, though wondered at the odd aura it gave off. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but it felt rather familiar. Like you had seen someone in that mood recently.

Before you could pinpoint the thought, soul #2 shivered and scooted closer to your hand. You smiled, this one certainly seemed happier at the introduction. Maybe it was because of your experience with Sans? Happily, you spent the rest of the duration of your sleep simply introducing yourself to the new soul, and chatting to the two.

Your life was weird, but you were starting to get a handle on it.


	11. Ramping Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life gains normalcy! Or at least some semblance of it.
> 
> (I am truly sorry for how long it took to get access to my doc storage so I could update. It was really hard to sneak this moment to just dump paste it here, so I'm sorry for it being unedited. If someone would like to help me edit and rework this shite I would greatly appreciate it. Covid is keeping my spouse's eyes on me way too much Dx )

The next day you find yourself wondering who the new soul is again, staring into space even after your fellow slumber party-goer starts his usual early morning routine which wakes you despite his best efforts to be quiet. You eventually leave the bed’s comfort (begrudgingly) when the call for breakfast resounds through the house. It’s a good thing you’re starving, because Sans has gone all out as his high spirits spur him into a frenzy of housekeeping action.

As you begin to stuff your face alongside the cuter Sans, you spot a grumpy looking Papyrus bee-lining it straight for you. With no explanation, he yanks you out of your seat, making you choke on your latest bite of waffle.

“BROTHER? WHAT IN THE WORLD IS UP WITH YOU THIS MORNING?” Sans follows, trying to stop the irked male unsuccessfully.

“Need a word with the girl bro. Go finish breakfast, it shouldn’t take long.”

“PAPYRUS, YOU SHOULD CALM DOWN FIRST. WE BARELY GOT HER BACK, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO CONFRONT HER ABOUT STARS KNOW WHAT. YOU SHOULD EAT FIRST AND CALM YOURSELF. NO GOOD CAN COME FROM SECRETIVE DISCUSSIONS WHILE ANGRY.” The courageous shorter male tried to position himself in front of his brother, only to see something in the scowling eye lights that turned him straight around. You sheepishly wave goodbye as you are dragged past, not knowing if you’ll live to see him again.

Being roughly placed onto the crumpled bed sheets in the elder male’s room makes you wonder why he was so ruffled first thing in the morning. Had he really been that upset that you spent the night with his brother? Looking up, you realized with as dark as the room was, his hyper focused eye lights were the only things you could see. You wanted to get the ball rolling so you could either die or get back to breakfast, but something told you to wait. The silence prevailed for a moment.

It had gone on long enough that as he cleared his throat you jumped. “So. I uh.” His dissatisfaction was palpable as once again the silence dragged on. “Before, I lied to you.”

You tilt your head, well that was certainly unexpected but your friend always did things for good reasons as far as you had seen, so you stayed quiet.

Letting out a sigh at your seeming acceptance, he continued, “The… first soul. The one you touched first, it was me.”

At that, your face burned a deep red. “So, wait. Why did Classic…”

“I eh, asked him to cover for me.”

You stare at the still agitated but embarrassed male with palpable confusion, “Wouldn’t it have been easier to just tell me? And you call yourself a lazybones.”

The golden orange glow in the room from his blushing, sweaty face allowed you to spy just how wrecked the room looked. You briefly wondered if it was always like this or if your actions prompted the chaos before you returned your attention to the frustrated and flustered skeleton before you.

“So, after all that… you had me fooled and all… why tell me now?”

“I uh, got a message from Classic… he said last night he truly felt a reaction like I had… did.. Did something happen?”

You nod. “I don’t know why, but in the heart dream a second - er soul, appear? So you’re saying soul #1 is you, and #2 is Classic? Interesting… oh wait. I guess since the two of you were lying… uh. Papyrus, I’m sorry for the continued molestation, I won’t touch you again if that’s what you wish.”

The glow of his blush brighted, half obscured by the bony hand he put over his mouth while he thought. Taking advantage in the pause of conversation, you quickly pull out your phone and text the other skeleton in question.

[y/n: So, Pap told me you were covering for him and I apparently got real access to you last night? Did you want to take back that consent buddy?]

[Classy: nah, ‘s all good. Thanks for going easy on me for a first rattle of the bones ;D]

You held back a smirk as your attention turned back to Papyrus’ mumble. “What was that?”

“I said… it was fun, I mean fine, to uh… you know. Wait, no this is a bad idea.” He lets out a discontented groan.

“Papyrus, it’s fine to say no. If you want to uh, fool around sometime later just let me know alright? If you’re okay with forgiving me for doing that in the first place, then it really doesn’t need to be a big deal right? I mean, we both didn’t know what was going on. It’s not like I can't live without molesting a monster soul.” You giggle while the skeleton’s blush spreads further.

With the deepest sigh yet, he turns away. “R-right. Yeah, it’s all good. I also wanted to know if you were cool with staying with us again? I mean, no pressure. I hear you and Haps were getting along pretty well too if that’s more your style but… like Sans said earlier, we just got you back and… it’s been rough worrying about if you were okay or not. We may not have known each other for long but we take care of our friends, got it?”

You let out a small sigh of your own. “And here I was trying to spare you guys from having to deal with my - whatever’s going on. You have had to deal with it this whole time huh?” His nod sends a familiar stab of guilt. “Well it’s definitely easier getting things solved when we put our noggins together, so yeah I’ll stick around this time. Er, sorry for worrying you.”

You get up to head back down now that the latest powwow is over, but as you pass by you grab the lanky skeleton’s hand and give it a small squeeze before returning to your now-cold breakfast.

\---

The rest of the day was spent running around town with your bestest pal Sans as chauffeur in his amazing alpine blue corvette. There was quite a bit of apologizing to do so Alphys and Undyne would forgive you considering you did kinda ditch them on a big day. Happstablook and Lesser Dog were just happy you were safe and in contact again. You wondered how you lucked out on stumbling into such good friends.

As the golden rays of evening colored the town, you thought back to your month of living on the streets. You hadn’t had much luck in doing more than surviving, and despite being accredited now - none of the employers would hire you without experience or references. You were still determined to be self-sufficient, at least in the capacity of helping with bills. You were searching through job ads on your phone while sitting in Muffet’s cafe with the bros. You were distracted enough you didn’t notice the conversation flowing around you as you sipped absentmindedly at your tea.

“Can you start tomorrow?” The words directed towards you snapped your concentration back into the now.

“W-what? What’s going on?” Your eyes rapidly swept over your companions who had been chatting with Muffet.

“PAPY AND I HAVE CAREFULLY NEGOTIATED A JOB FOR YOU HERE AT MUFFET’S!” Sans declared proudly, gesturing wildly. If you hadn’t moved his bagel and hot chocolate, you would be wearing it.

“At least until you find somewhere you’d rather work. Y’know, since the places you applied to before weren’t rising to the occasion.” Papyrus adds in, smiling at your initiative.

Your eyes sparkle with appreciation as the news sinks in. You were sure you had done something like restaurant work before, though the memories were fuzzy. “THANK YOU!” Your own arms fling into the air, sending your phone sailing. Everyone’s eyes followed its descent back down, and you managed to snatch the falling technology with a smirk and a pose as if you had done it all on purpose. “You can count on me.” With a sudden surge of confidence, you smirk at the three only to find each with their own version of blushes.

Nice.

\-----

The world was slowly coming together, and returning to couch life wasn’t a big adjustment at all. Things at Muffet’s went smoothly, along with the cute waitress outfit she insisted you wear much to Sans’ delight (he thought it was adorable) and Papyrus’ unvoiced disapproval (wasn’t life hard enough?). You were fine with it, except having so much leg expose bothered you for some reason. Ah well, work was done, bills were paid, and hanging out with friends was accomplished. All in all, you considered yourself a successful adult.

Unfortunately, the nightmares returned the very next night, and you were sure something was missing as you successfully dodged every attack sent your way. The feeling that someone was watching with disappointment made everything just feel - icky when you awoke. Luckily, you were able to send a text Classic’s way who punned his way into you feeling better about it, though when he revealed that he had started having the dream too… it sent a twinge of anxiety through you. Regardless, this was your pattern for the next few weeks, sleep alternating between the nightmare and the souls every other night.  
You wonder about the whys one night, staring up at the stars from the roof that you recklessly scaled the house to get to. It was beautiful and private, but you were just a human and the amount of effort and risk it took really wasn’t worth it, was it? Thinking of things that were worth it, your mind drifts to the connections you made. How was it possible that you just so happened to be dumped in front of a skeleton that you were connected to through dreams? No, not just one skeleton but two. And one of them is from a whole ‘nother universe. It was obviously not a coincidence. Something was going on, and you had no real clue other than… that.

Okay, so sure you’d been exposed to monsters in a slightly unique way, but that really shouldn’t make such a weird connection. And like, they were highly intelligent ones too, ones with connections and volumes of research on all sorts of soul stuff, and they were as stumped as you were.

And… why those two specific monsters?

Such thoughts were enough to make your mind swirl.

Your phone beeped as you received a message. Thankful for the rescue from your mind which felt like it was circling the drain, you peeked at the glowing screen.

[Classy: u busy 2mor?]

[y/n: I have the day off, why?]

[Classy: My Paps wants 2 meet u, u like campin?]

Your legs kicked in excitement. [y/n: I love camping! Do I need to bring anything? You’re coming to pick me up right?]

A few minutes pass and you can hear your name being called from the house below. “I’m outside!” You call back, crossing your leg over your raised knee as you push yourself into an upright position.

“I CAN’T SEE YOU! YOU HIDE VERY WELL FOR A HUMAN, FRIEND.”

You giggle as your phone beeped again, peeking over the edge as Sans confusedly searched for you through bushes closer to the house. You look back at your messages.

[Classy: nah, we got th stuff. Invite ur skeletons, stretch can bring u]

Smiling, you looked back down again to see the bright blue lights staring at you, smaller in his eyes than usual. “HOW DID YOU EVEN GET UP THERE?! Y/N IT’S TOO DANGEROUS!”

You shake your head. “I climbed up here silly-skull. It’s fine, you honestly worry too much about me.” His cheeks puffed up, obviously disagreeing but not saying it. “Hey, Classic Sans is inviting the three of us on a camping trip tomorrow, do you think you guys could come? I know both of us don’t have work but if you have any other plans…”

Little white stars swelled within the blue of his eye lights. “OH MY GOSH, THAT SOUNDS AMAZING! AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY CURRENT PLANS OTHER THAN THE USUAL WORKOUT WITH ALPHYS. I’M SURE SHE WOULD UNDERSTAND. I DON’T KNOW ABOUT PAPY THOUGH.”

Your smile deepend at his excitement. Too adorable. Shifting closer to the edge of the roof, you look down at your previous means of ascent. Crap, you forgot you’d barely climbed up that slope. Unsure, you looked over the rest of the surface for a better route but, no you used the best one. Hm. Maybe you were stuck after all.

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

“I’m fine.” You reassured the hyper skeleton who seemed to be wavering between staying or heading inside. “I was just reaffirming my path. It’s important to know your spaces when you climb.”

He nodded, but obviously, you weren’t as smooth as you thought. “INSTEAD OF DANGEROUSLY CLIMBING DOWN THE HOUSE, WHY DON’T YOU JUST JUMP AND HAVE ME CATCH YOU?”

Well, he was always training with Alphys but you weren’t sure if your weight would be over much for him. He was shorter than you after all. Of course you knew he’d never admit it. “If you’re that concerned, maybe you could just get Papyrus? Y’know the shortcut thing?”

Briefly, the small skeleton’s face contorted like you’d slapped him. Quickly, the pout returned as did an overwhelming aura of superior confidence. “WE DON’T NEED PAPY. I GOT THIS, JUST TRUST ME!” It was a first to have him wink your way, obviously copied from his brother’s usual habit, but still, surprisingly it suited him.

“If I crush you and you dust, don’t come crying to me.” Your voice carried the worry you felt. “You're sure you..”

“JUST GO!” 

Your body reacted obediently (to your own surprise) at his insistence, and you wonder why as you shot from the roof to the ground below, landing with much less impact than you expected right in his magic-cushioned arms. Before you could move, he quickly carried you into the house bridal style.

“Hey bro, did you- what’s going on?” Papyrus asked from the couch as Sans proudly but gently placed you on the other side, patting your head while you continued to wear a bewildered expression.

“I RESCUED A KITTY FROM THE ROOF. OH, AND IF YOU’RE NOT BUSY TOMORROW YOU SHOULD COME WITH US ON A CAMPING TRIP CLASSIC SANS INVITED US TOO.” With that, he turned and strolled up to his room while humming.

It took more than a few minutes to snap out of your stupor before turning to Papyrus who wore a similar look to your own. “Did he just call me a cat?”


End file.
